The distant guards saw the young master floating motionlessly on the water from afar, unable to sink, and couldn’t help but widen their eyes: What kind of divine skill has the young master cultivated? He’s actually floating on the water like that? If this were to be explained by Xuan Qi cultivation, at the very least, it would require reaching the level of Jade Xuan to achieve this!

After soaking for a while, Ethan Brooks hurriedly got ashore. His body did feel refreshed, but what followed was weakness—an extreme sense of weakness! After all, the original Thomas Brooks had almost reduced this body to nothing but an empty shell. Now, after such an intense cleansing and marrow-washing, with spirit and body united, the fact that Ethan Brooks hadn’t fainted outright was already a testament to his extraordinary willpower.

Forcing himself to return to his room, Ethan Brooks changed into a soft white robe, picked up a bowl of bird’s nest porridge brought by the adorable little loli Emily, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

No matter what world you’re in, strength always comes first! A person may lack influence, but must never lack strength of their own! Even in his previous life, Ethan Brooks had never so urgently craved an increase in power as he did now!

Alone in this world, Ethan Brooks felt that the only thing that could truly put his mind at ease was his own formidable strength—the pinnacle of power, enough to control the life and death of all beings!

And now, Ethan Brooks was confident that he had mastered another treasure trove. That mysterious pagoda was Ethan Brooks’s greatest reliance in this life. Ethan Brooks absolutely did not believe that such an enigmatic pagoda would contain only this one “Heaven-Opening Creation Art” technique; there must be other uses! And all these uses would have to be slowly unearthed by Ethan Brooks, bit by bit!

Moreover, that so-called “number one art since ancient times,” the Heaven-Opening Creation Art, gave Ethan Brooks a faint sense of confidence! Such a mysterious technique could hardly be an ordinary thing.

He slowly recalled the circulation route of the first stage of the Heaven-Opening Creation Art, “Radiant Grand Evolution.” Ethan Brooks sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, mind and spirit as one, calming his thoughts and breathing, and began to circulate the technique slowly...

“Spiritual light stirs, radiance illuminates the grand evolution; intent soars to the ninth heaven, feet tread the immortal spring; heaven and earth in one’s grasp, the heart is a treasure mountain; soul refined nine times, never to fall into the yellow springs...”

After circulating the technique once, he was surprised to feel nothing at all—there wasn’t even the slightest sense of Qi. Yet Ethan Brooks was not discouraged, and began another cycle, keeping his mind focused and not relaxing in the slightest.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but Ethan Brooks had already followed the instructions of the Heaven-Opening Creation Art for no less than two hundred cycles, still with no response! The meridians within remained lifeless, and after sitting cross-legged for so long, Ethan Brooks’s legs had gone numb. Although this body had undergone cleansing and marrow-washing, its physical endurance had yet to be truly developed. Even his head felt dizzy—he was already showing signs of fainting.

Ethan Brooks took a deep breath again, struggling to maintain clarity in his mind, and steeled himself: I refuse to believe I can’t sense Qi! When it comes to evil, I’m number one! Who can out-evil me, the Evil Monarch? I just don’t believe in this evil!

I don’t believe in any evil! But all evil must believe in me, the Evil Monarch! I am the Evil Monarch! I am the king among the evil!

Once again, he entered a long session of breathing and meditation. After a long time, Ethan Brooks felt as if his body was no longer under his control, his muscles nearly stiff. He had followed the circulation route of the Heaven-Opening Creation Art for no less than another three hundred cycles, yet still felt nothing!

Ethan Brooks kept his eyes closed, forcibly enduring the exhaustion in his body, with only one stubborn belief in his heart: One more cycle... one more cycle... one more...

Finally, he didn’t know how much time had passed, when Ethan Brooks suddenly faintly felt a slight twitch at the Niwan Palace atop his head, followed by a warmth. A faint sensation suddenly appeared within his meridians, but it was as weak as a wisp of thread—if he hadn’t been fully focused, he would hardly have noticed it. This Qi was indeed as thin as silk, almost imperceptible, but its essence was exceptionally real. Such internal energy was truly strange, for even beginners who could cultivate Qi would never have it so condensed. However, in his current dazed state, Ethan Brooks was completely unaware of this.

Just as this threadlike yet exceptionally real Qi appeared, in Ethan Brooks’s sea of consciousness, that small, multicolored, radiant pagoda suddenly began to float up slowly, spinning in midair. With each rotation, a thick plume of white mist burst forth, the mist slowly drifting in the air. Countless strands of white mist, invisible to the naked eye, suddenly appeared on the surface of Ethan Brooks’s body, then slowly seeped into Ethan Brooks’s skin, into Ethan Brooks’s meridians...

Chapter 9: Cleansing and Marrow-Washing

At this moment, Ethan Brooks was still as dazed as before, neither surprised nor delighted, continuing to maintain his cultivation state, seemingly completely unaware of all this.

To speak of it, this Heaven-Opening Creation Art is indeed mysterious and unfathomable, the most supreme technique since ancient times. But the way of heaven has its rules; cultivation itself is an act against the heavens, and tests one’s character above all. The entry-level practice of this technique is the hardest to master—not only does it require great perseverance and indomitable will, but also great fortune!